The guideline to remove wasp’s nest in your home

Wasps change nesting locations once a year. They only sting humans if they feel threatened so it can be dangerous to have wasps nesting in or around your home. One wasp nest can hold up to 10,000 insects.

If the wasps do not venture near the immediate area of a house, then it would be best to leave the wasp nest alone. A wasp sting is poisonous and depending on a person’s disposition they can suffer minor pain for a few hours. But if they are allergic, then the sting can prove to be fatal.

In case someone in the household is allergic to wasps or are worried for the safety of the family then it would be best to remove the wasp nest.

Detecting a Wasp’s nest

Creating a pollinator garden or growing vegetables and even a water fountain can draw wasps as well as other insects into the garden. If wasp’s venture near your home, meaning they become noticeable to your family then it is best to get rid of them and locate the wasp’s nest.

To locate the nest, start by standing in the middle of the garden and observe the flight path of the wasps. Keenly see their comings and goings, ascertain where they are coming from. If you spend fifteen minutes or so in the garden while there are some wasps present, then you should be able to determine where they are coming from observing their flight path.

Some wasps build nests around the house’s roof or even on a window sill or ledge. In some cases wasps also build nests underground, so be on the lookout for these as well.

Verify the species of Wasp

Bees evolved from wasps around 130 million years ago, hence their similarity. Beehives and Wasp nests look almost the same to the untrained eye, thankfully there are some telltale signs to figuring out what kind of insect nest has latched onto your home.

Most are familiar with the appearance of beehives. Apparently, if there is a glazy substance on the nest that looks like honey, then that is a beehive. A bee usually has yellow markings.

If you see wasps going inside a hole in the ground or a hole in a structure like a home or building then that could be a yellowjacket nest. They like building nests in enclosed areas or underground cavities. These nests are usually large enough to hold several thousand insects. The yellow jacket has shorter legs and black antenna. Yellow Jackets are known to be the most aggressive species of wasps.

Nests that have one opening and are shaped like a football with a semi-smooth surface then that could be a hornet’s nest. They sometimes create nests in wall cavities or even in tree trunks. Hornets are the most abundant species of social wasps. The North American hornet generally has white markings on the thorax and head. While the European hornet has orange markings.

If there are hexagonal shaped cells that are visible out in the open, then that should be a paper wasps nest, and they should only be numbered to less than a hundred. Paper wasps generally have long bodies, compared to other species of wasps. Paper wasps only attack if threatened.

Contacting vector control

Performing a quick internet search about vector control for your local area should yield if this service is available to you or not.

Vector control is a service provided by local organisations with the purpose of dealing with dangerous potentially disease-carrying animals or insects. Only some states and countries offer this service, so it is best to do a quick Google search.

Call a professional exterminator

In case the wasp’s nest is inside a wall or tree trunk or possibly even in the attic then it is highly advisable to call an exterminator to tackle and resolve the problem for you. That would be the best option for nests that are too large for the average homeowner to handle. Calling a professional exterminator is a good idea for nests that are located in hard to reach areas as well.

You can attempt to remove a Wasp’s nest on your own if the nest is easily accessible, out in the open and small enough to fit into a trash bag. However, if you are allergic to wasps it is advised to call someone in to do the job for you. This is a safer option than risking a sting and a reaction.

If allergies aren’t a problem, you can use the following steps to remove a wasp’s nest yourself.

Steps To Remove a Wasp’s Nest

If you can’t call a professional to remove the wasp’s nest for you, you can always do it yourself instead. However, you will need the correct equipment and clothing to do so safely. Remember, wasps do sting humans when they feel threatened, and nothing is more threatening than displacing their home.

Here’s how you can remove a wasp’s nest yourself.

Step 1: Wear protective gear

If you have access to a beekeeper suit, this would be the ideal gear to wear. However, these suits aren’t always easy to get a hold of. The idea here is to cover as much of your body’s surface with thick clothing. Wear pants, socks, shoes, long sleeved shirt and a jacket or hoodie for your body.

Covering your head with a hoodie or hat is essential as well as wearing goggles to protect the eyes and wrap the lower half of the face with a scarf or other thick cloth.

Step 2: Avoid Wasp Stings

A Wasp’s sting is venomous and can be painful. If you get stung by a wasp then it is vital to remove the stinger immediately. Use the edge of a credit card or fingernails to remove the stinger. Wash the wound with soap and water.

Treat the injury by applying a cold compress or ice to help reduce the swelling. If you experience dizziness, nausea, vomiting, severe swelling then go to the emergency room for medical treatment immediately.

Step 3: Use the Right Equipment

Attempting to remove a Wasp’s nest by standing on top of a ladder can be a terrible idea. Imagine being on a ladder when a swarm of Wasps attack you. That situation would rattle anyone and could cause them to lose their footing.

The fall from that elevated height would definitely leave you injured. Again if the Wasp’s nest is in a hard to reach area, call a professional exterminator for health and safety reasons.

Step 4: Choose the Right Time of Day

Do not try to remove the nest in the middle of the day at the height activity for these insects. Wait until they are already inside the nest, resting, unmoving or sleeping. The insects would likely be less aggressive at night time as well.

Do not use a regular flashlight for this lunar operation. An amber coloured lamp or red light would be best. Striking at the break of dawn is also a good idea since the insects would still be less active than midday. Plus the benefit of the natural sunlight will also work in your favour.

Step 5a: Using an insecticide to remove a nest

Purchase wasp insecticide sprays and target the entrance or opening of the nest. Be sure to be about an arm’s length from the nest and spray generously.

Wasps are sensitive to vibrations, target the Wasps that emerge out of the nest as you are continuously spraying the insecticide. Insecticide sprays have different spray patterns so adapt your attack plan to the insecticides spray pattern.

For aerosols, you can spray at an arm’s length while for foaming insecticides it is best to use the nozzle attachment and spray directly inside the opening of the nest. Continuously spray the foam until it expands into all the crevices of the nest and bubbles out the entrance.

After spraying the insecticide, wait about twelve hours. This length of time will hopefully also kill the Wasps that were outside the nest once they return. Then take an empty trash bag, make sure there is no movement in the nest. If there is movement then use the insecticide again.

Carefully wrap the plastic bag around the nest and detach it from wherever it is and close the bag tightly. Throw the bag in the trash and keep the lid of the garbage sealed.

Step 5b: A natural method to remove a wasp nest

If you’d prefer to use a more natural method to remove the wasp’s nest, you can use a cloth or eco bag. Choose one that is large enough to contain the mass of the nest.

Merely use the cloth bag and cover the entirety of the nest then dislodge it and immediately submerge the cloth bag into a bucket of soapy water. This method will drown all the insects thereby killing the nest.

How to Prevent Wasp Nests

Now that you have gotten rid of the current nest, it is time to make sure that there won’t be any future infestations near your home.

Spot vacant nests

While Wasp colonies usually do not reuse their old nests, other colonies can lay claim to old nests and make it their own. Take some time during winter to spot the abandoned nests, remove it from your property and destroy it.

Make sure to clean the area where is was once located as well. Doing this will prevent any future Wasp colonies from making the old nest their home during the coming spring.

Seal the house

Conduct an inspection of the home to see if there are any possible entry points for insects or other pests to gain access to the home. Hire professionals to conduct a house survey and spot any issues or weak points of the home.

Use expanding foam insulation to patch any holes or crevices in the property. Use caulking to seal any cracks or slight openings on window sills as well.

Seal trash bins

Pests, in general, are attracted to any open food sources. Be careful with any trash bins and seal them properly. This will ensure that Wasps do not take residence near an abundant food source namely your trash bins. Be mindful of fruit trees as well because overripe fruit is also a magnet for wasps.

Conclusion:

Noticing an influx of wasps in the garden area is a gentle reminder to keep loved ones safe. Their well being is of utmost importance if the Wasps are far from any living space inside or outside the home then just leave them alone.

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